Party Time!

I heard this actual conversation by two young people, while sitting on a pavement café drinking coffee. Quote: “Did you go?” “Yes. I went with my boyfriend. Didn’t rate the Arctic Monkeys though, still, it was for a good cause, helping to save the planet.”

Where did she go? To a music concert, one of several held around the world, which was attended by hundreds of thousands of young people gathered together to reflect on global warming and saving the planet. They were organised at the behest of - guess who - Mr. A Gore. Yes, the very man. The man who stopped the early Kyoto accord in its tracks! The very man who gets a Nobel prize ten years later!

What a sacrifice she must have made by going! Jumping up and down, listening to some egocentric pop idols having jetted in from all over the world to sing about the planet, leaving their carbon footprint in their wake!!

As I reflected upon this conversation, she, the young girl, actually believed she had helped the planet (and probably negated her carbon footprint). She has put her guilt at rest and is now looking forward to jetting halfway around the world for her holiday with a clear conscience!

This is the real attitude of the people, their ignorance of the situation we are in and the consequences we are facing. Most people have no idea about the ramifications of their life styles, habits and superficial needs!

If we really cared about our environment, we would do something more radical about it. The sad fact is we do not even care enough to do anything, anything that really hurts, anything that will make any difference, that is.

Neither will any government. Why? Because it seems all too vague, too distant to concern their immediate terms in office and their comfortable agendas.

We will care, though, when the proverbial wolf is at the door, but it may well be too late!

What about the blatant hypocrisy of those who can afford several holidays abroad each year, drive four-wheel-drive vehicles, have better lifestyles than most, send their children to the best schools, etc. What happens when they come to the fore, when they, and their ilk, suddenly have an environmental conscience?....They start up several pseudo-green groups, putting sites on the internet informing us how they protest at a third runway at Heathrow airport being built or a singular power station being built on the east coast of Kent, or a wind farm being built too near their property.

What these bizarre little rich kids groups are really protesting about, is what the rest of humanity are doing. What they are really telling you is: YOU cut your carbon emissions, YOU cut your carbon footprint, YOU cut your fuel consumption. They can enjoy their lives without being too put out. After all, they are more important than the average citizen of the country, are they not, as they are more affluent, more educated, and superior.

All these hypocritical groups are really worried about is 'their lifestyle' being affected long-term. This mentality, this self-righteous ‘dedication’ to prevent climate change, along with the commercial ‘logic’ which tries to sell you a car that is more environmentally friendly because it does more miles to the gallon than the average car, thus easing your conscience and making you feel better is getting us nowhere fast, is it not?

See all this as I do, on a country-wide basis, an international basis. It is this attitude that leads us to deliberate at each climate change conference. It is this selfishness that makes governments procrastinate at making any real decision which would stop us running full pelt off the proverbial cliff, en masse like lemmings, to our mutual destruction.

Self-preservation is an in-built behaviour in all animal species. The trouble with Homo sapiens is that we have forgotten what we really need to survive for; indeed, we have forgotten the real purpose of what life is all about.

The ’needful things’ we are jealously guarding and preserving at any cost are what in the long-term? What are we really preserving short-term that is worth our children’s suffering, our planet’s impending climatic catastrophe?